Oxidation of Si/Ge nanowires grown silicon wafers

Abstract

The Si nanorods and Si/Ge nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on silicon wafers were subject to oxidation using the vapor phase form of modified CP-4 etchant. These semiconductor quantum structures offer promising application possibilities ranging from photonics to advanced electronics. Therefore, understanding of the oxidation mechanism and resulting effects would provide a valuable knowledge on physical and electrical properties of these commercially valuable materials. In this presentation, a comprehensive review of the properties is provided in order to clarify the origin of the observed oxidation based features including wafer recovery. The results have been analyzed using state-of-the-art characterization techniques and compared with the current developments in the area. At the end of the paper, a lookout is provided for possible photonic applications. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.